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While my daughters were home from school last week, we got inspired by illustrator Aaron Zenz and his creative children who blog at Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty. The Z-Family recently collected rocks and sticks, painted them, and planted them around their town to brighten the day of unsuspecting locals.

We decided to do the same—give rocks some smiles and let a neighbor stumble across a fine-lookin’ paper weight. Or new pet. Or objet d’art.

While the Z-Family collected beach pebbles, we live on a mountain (those from the Rockies would call this a hill), so we collected small boulders. My littlest child picked the largest rocks and had to drag her bag home.

Here’s the family of rocks we painted, each with its own unique personality. (Yes, we named them.) Later this week, we’ll stash them in nooks and crannies around town and see if any lucky folks decide to adopt them. Stay tuned!

Love to see imagination take flight like this! When I was a child I was given a collection of wood knots dressed up and painted with faces. They became the knot family…

Donna Martin said, on 2/27/2012 10:21:00 AM

These are soooo cute! I’ve painted rocks before…love the owl!

Deborah Underwood said, on 2/27/2012 10:23:00 AM

I love these! What a great idea!

Ishta Mercurio said, on 2/27/2012 10:23:00 AM

COOL idea! I love this plan of yours. I’m tempted to do it with my own kids, but my city would probably call it “littering” and fine me hundreds of dollars. They’re kind of Nazi-ish about “artsy” stuff like that. Blech.

Julie said, on 2/27/2012 10:24:00 AM

Love this idea!! Great post! Kinda got me all excited about grabbing the kids off the bus and heading to the beach!

Melissa K. said, on 2/27/2012 10:25:00 AM

My sibs and I did something like this many long years ago, and my mother still has “Mr. Murphy” (a sullen, yellow rock person) next to her kitchen soap dish. I think my Dad painted him….

A great idea, and well executed. What a lucky neighborhood you inhabit!

Marcela S. said, on 2/27/2012 10:27:00 AM

Beautiful! (It reminds me of things that I use to do in my childhood).

Wendy Greenley said, on 2/27/2012 10:33:00 AM

That is so fun! I’ve done that with my kids for our own yard, but never thought about leaving them around other places. Like Ishta, I remember the uproar when the knitters tried to leave their objets d’art on trees and fences and were not warmly received in our area. But maybe if we asked folks first?